Visible Wireless vs. Xfinity Mobile Cell Phone Plans Review

We’re going to do an in-depth review of two mobile carriers that have been getting a lot of buzz recently: Xfinity Mobile and Visible Wireless. But we like to give you the short answer up front before we jump into the deep dive. So, which carrier is better?

Visible Wireless offers two powerful and affordable unlimited data plans that will be perfect for people who use their phones a lot. The basic unlimited plan only costs $25/month, and the premium plan (with 50 GB of high-speed data monthly) costs $45/month.

Meanwhile, Xfinity Mobile has a few cheap limited data plans that will be perfect for folks who don’t stream, scroll, or Snapchat all day. But you have to be an existing Comcast customer to sign up.

We’ll talk about these carriers’ specific plans, pricing, and performance in a moment. But first, let’s go over what you want to look at when choosing a new cell phone plan.

• Data: So much of what we do on our phones, from TikTok to Google Maps, uses data. You want to make sure you have enough 4G LTE or 5G data to meet your needs.
• Price: There are tons of great looking deals out there right now. But be sure to read the fine print (some promotional prices end after a few months) and take a look at the competition before settling on a plan.
• Coverage: There are three major networks—AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. All three companies run great networks, but one may offer better coverage in your area.
• Performance: There are many factors, from data speeds to mobile hotspots, that can affect the overall performance of your cell phone plan. Make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck.

Xfinity Mobile offers a few different kinds of cell phone plans. Visible offers just one. Here are the pros and cons of each.

Visible’s unlimited data plans don't mess around. In fact, they're some of the very best plans on the market right now, hands down. With the base unlimited plan for $25, you get unlimited talk, text, and data on Verizon’s awesome nationwide network. Plus you’ll get hotspot data, 5G network access, and other perks. With the premium Visible plan, you get unlimited everything, along with 50 GB of guaranteed high-speed data.  Just take a look.

Either plan competes with much pricier unlimited data plans and still hold their own. So, what’s the drawback?

The biggest problem is probably data throttling and deprioritization. Your 4G LTE data speeds will usually hover in the 5–12 Mbps range, which is slower than traditional phone plans from a company like AT&T or T-Mobile. You can avoid those shortcomings by paying the extra $15/month to get the Visible+ premium plan, which comes with 50 GB of high-speed data every month.

We should make one thing clear from the start: only existing Comcast customers can get on Xfinity Mobile. If you’ve got Xfinity (Comcast) cable TV or home internet, then you’re good to go. If you don’t, then you’ll need to sign up before you’re eligible.

If you’re able to sign up, Xfinity Mobile offers more options than Visible Wireless. You can go for an unlimited data plan for $45 a month, or you can get a more flexible By the Gig plan. Here’s a look at these options side by side.

As you can see, Xfinity’s By the Gig plans start cheap. $15 a month will get you unlimited talk, text, and 1 GB. If you don’t use a ton of data that’s an unbeatable price. Plus, this plan gives you access to millions of Xfinity-owned Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the country. When you’re connected to one of these hotspots, you won’t drain your limited data.

There are three starting options for your By the Gig plan: 1 GB, 3 GB, and 10 GB. For each GB that you use over that starting amount, you’ll be charged an extra $15. That can add up pretty fast, so if you’re a heavy data user, it’s best to just get an unlimited data plan.

Xfinity’s unlimited data option is a pretty great deal. Much like Visible’s unlimited plan, this one will get you unlimited talk, text, and data. You’ll get hotspot data and 5G, too.

This plan has drawbacks similar to Visible’s, too. Your download speeds will be capped at 5–12 Mbps, and users of 20 GB or more of data could see their speeds go even lower. Your hotspot data speeds will be capped at 600 Kbps and your video streaming will be capped at 480p resolution.

At $45, it’s a lot cheaper than many other unlimited plans. But it’s not cheaper than Visible’s. So, if we have to choose an outright winner in the unlimited data plan category, we’d definitely choose Visible.

Both Xfinity and Visible are what we call mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). That means that these companies don’t actually own and operate their own mobile network towers. Instead, they lease bandwidth from another company.

Both Visible and Xfinity use Verizon’s network. So you’ll get basically the same coverage with either one. This is great news, because Verizon operates the best network in the country. Just check out this coverage map.

Verizon’s data speeds are also pretty great. Based on our data from over 100,000 wireless customers, Verizon has the second fastest data download speeds in the industry.

Now that Verizon is rapidly rolling out its 5G network, customers should see even better data speeds.

Smaller phone carriers like Visible and Xfinity aren’t really known for their amazing customer service, and there isn’t much data to help us evaluate which one is better.

But if we compare each company’s customer service apps, we can see that Visible Wireless’s app has a 4.4-star rating on the Apple App Store, while Xfinity Mobile has an impressive a 4.8-star rating. Sometimes app ratings are misleading because the reviewers may be responding to bugs or flaws in the software, not necessarily a bad customer service experience. But these days, putting out a buggy app is bad customer service.

We took a detailed look at everything these two companies have to offer. But here’s a quick recap to refresh your memory before you make a final decision.

• Plans: Visible’s unlimited data plan is an amazing powerhouse that gets you everything you could want for just $40 a month. Xfinity’s unlimited plan is a bit pricier without any obvious advantages. But lower-data users will be happy with Xfinity’s By the Gig plan.
• Coverage and performance: Both Visible and Xfinity are on Verizon’s network. Also, both companies are MVNOs that can have their data speeds deprioritized. So, performance wise, these two carriers are basically the same.

If you’ve already made your decision you can sign up for Visible or Xfinity online. If you’re still not sure then you might want to take a look at these other great plans.

We take our reviews seriously, which is why we look at every carrier we evaluate from multiple angles, including price, features, coverage, and more. We utilize our own proprietary data from over 100,000 customers to figure out which companies offer the best performance, so you can figure out which carrier is best for you.